Vintage Wedding Era Guidelines- Victorian Era

Covered here is information regarding different topics about the Victorian era that could be applied to planning a vintage themed wedding. This information is provided to help aid in the successful planning of your own Victorian era vintage themed wedding.

Covered here are topics about the Victorian era such as:

• Victorian Era Quick Statistics
• Victorian Era History
• Victorian Era Menu
• Victorian Era Clothing (general)
• Victorian Era Women's Attire
• Victorian Era Men's Attire
• Victorian Era Children's Attire
• Victorian Era Flowers
• Victorian Era Points of Reference (visual)

Victorian Era Quick Statistics

Fabrics available: Linen, wool, cotton, silk, satin, velvet, damask, flax, crepe (keep in mind, however, that crepe was a fabric used in association with mourning), and leather were available during the Victorian era.

Shoe fabrics: Boots were made of hard leather, Clogs were wooden, and dress slippers were made of silk, satin, or kid (a type of leather).

Common colors: Common colors of the Victorian era included deep red (burgundy), rose (pink), peacock blue, bright apple green, royal blue, purple, lavender, mandarin, sea green, peach, pale blue, and garden pastel colors.

Hair styles (women): Women’s hair during the Victorian era was drawn up toward the back and away from the face, exposing the ears, but was kept flat on top (to accommodate for headdresses and hats), with curls or a small twist at the back of the head. Bangs softened the brow and curled in front of the ears.

Tortoise-shell combs, floral, and lace headdresses were intertwined into hairdos. Jeweled hairpins, bandeaux and tiaras were also worn.

Hair styles (men): Men wore their hair fairly short throughout the Victorian era. Starting from just over the top of the ears with a center parting running from forehead to nape was fashionable in the 1870s, but there was considerable individual choice in the way the hair was combed -- parted slightly off-centre, at the side or brushed straight back.

Mustaches, mutton-chop sideburns, Piccadilly Weepers, full beards, and Van Dykes (worn by Napoleon III) were the common facial hair styles worn during the Victorian era.

Accessories: Accessories for Victorian era men included hats, gloves, walking sticks, pocket watches, and monocles.

Accessories for Victorian era women included bonnets and hats, gloves (both long and short) and muffs, tortoise-shell combs, hairpins, tiaras and other headdresses, jewelry, purses/handbags, sashes, cashmere shawls, cameo pins and pendants, parasols, handkerchiefs, small fans carried in the hand, and lorgnettes (a magnifying glass with silk ribbon or chain to hang around the neck). Women also owned decorative glass perfume bottles, round mirrors, and metal powder and rouge cases in various sizes.

Jewelry: During the Victorian era, cameo pins and pendants were worn on black velvet ribbons around the neck or wrist were extremely popular. Gold lockets were worn on neck chains. When in mourning, hand-wrought silver jewelry was substituted for gold jewelry.

Pearls and garnets were the “stones” of choice, and were set in bracelets, rings, long earrings, necklaces, brooches, and large ornate buckles. Beads, coral, amber, marcasite and crystal jewelry were also commonly worn.

Common Musical Instruments of the Victorian Era: The piano became an extremely popular instrument during the Victorian era, and was commonly played in the home as well as in public places such as saloons and music halls. Nearly all musical instruments available today were available in the Victorian era. Women commonly learned to play either the piano or the harp. The acoustical guitar was popular in America, but not as popular in Europe.

Some famous composers of the Victorian era include: Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, Anton Brukner, Gustav Mahler, Hugo Wolf, Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss II, Jean Sibelius, Alexander Scriabin, Edward MacDowell, and George Whitefield Chadwick.

For ideas of available vintage related wedding products, be sure to check out our store!

Victorian Era History

The Victorian era was associated with the reign of Queen Victoria (ruled from 1837-1901) over the British Empire. It was (and still is) the longest reign on the throne in all of British history. It was a time period when many artistic styles, literary schools, as well as social, political and religious movements flourished. It was a time of prosperity and great political reform. The Victorian Era was also a time of tremendous scientific progress and ideas. Ideas of Marxism, socialism, feminism developed and progressed during the Victorian era. Charles Darwin developed the Theory of Evolution, and Sigmund Freud produced radical ideas about modern psychiatry. Karl Marx and his associates developed radical economic theory, which began a second age of revolution in mid-century. The American Civil War (1861-1865) took place during the Victorian era, and altered American governmental and social structure. The social, political, economic and racial issues of the war decisively shaped a “reconstruction era” in America that lasted until 1877. On a societal level, the Victorian era is a time that is associated with "prudishness" and "repression", which has caused it to be called the “Second English Renaissance” by some. There was a high degree of modesty and a sense of propriety that we hardly can relate to today. However, even though the Victorian era was associated with the values, etiquette, and morals of the Renaissance era, the social, political, and religious ideas and movements developed during the Victorian era actually made the Victorian era be considered the beginning of Modern Times.

Victorian Era Menu

Some of the typical foods available during the Victorian era that may have been served include: boiled beef, roast beef, boiled ham, sweetbreads, veal, fillets of rabbit or roast hare, boiled or fricasseed chicken, duck, pork cutlets, meat pies, smoked (or pickled) herring, codfish, baked haddock, vermicelli soup, pea soup, cream soups, kidneys, lobster, roast or boiled turkey, tongue, mutton, pheasants, and oysters (Oysters were perhaps one of the most popular foods consumed during the Victorian era). Vegetables and side dishes may have included: Brussels sprouts, pickled vegetables, grilled mushrooms, potatoes, boiled rice, mashed turnips, artichokes, and peas. Victorian era desserts may have included: fruit preserves / jarred fruit, cream, fruit tarts or tartlets, cheesecakes, custards, cakes, apple fritters, plum pudding and other such puddings, cheeses, and fresh fruit. Beverages available during the Victorian era would have been drinks such as milk, lemonade, hot tea, root beer, and Perrier. Alcoholic beverages would have included beer, wines such as port, madeira, a mulled wine called “Negus”, or sherry. Champagne was a favorite dinner drink among Victorian era women. Interesting fact: During the Victorian era, only 2 large main meals were eaten per day, breakfast and a very late dinner. Having a “tea time” in the afternoon provided a way to incorporate snacks into the day to ward off hunger, and allowed women to flaunt their best china. Afternoon tea became all the rage during the Victorian era. For a fun and unique bridal shower idea, you could have a “Victorian Tea” bridal shower in the afternoon!

Victorian Era Clothing

Several style trends influenced clothing styles, architecture, literature, and the decorative arts during the Victorian era. These influential styles include:

• Orientalism
• Romanticism: more specifically, the romanticising of the Scottish Highlands (think in terms of romance novels)
• The Gothic revival
• Aestheticism (a movement during the Victorian era searching for beauty found in old English, Japanese, and classical art)

During the Victorian era, sewing machines became introduced into both homes and boutiques making the creation of clothing much faster and easier, making it less expensive. Towards the end of the Victorian era, clothing could be machine manufactured and was sold at department stores instead of always having to have custom clothes made. The wealthy, however, still preferred to pay for custom clothing in order to have individualized unique clothing to show off their status.

The lock-stitch sewing machine developed in the mid-century of the Victorian era enabled a lavish application of trim that would have been too time-consuming if done by hand. Lace machinery made lace cheaper than doing it by hand, so lace became a widely used trim.

New materials gave rise to new types of clothing, and chemists developed new, cheap, bright dyes that replaced the old animal or vegetable dyes that had been previously used for coloring fabric.

Please refer to our photo gallery for image ideas of styles worn in the Victorian Era.

 

Victorian Era Women’s Attire
 

Clothing in the Victorian era is considered to be pretty, elegant, feminine, and chic. However, women’s clothing was also very restrictive, stiff, and could assuredly be called uncomfortable. Fashion also changed a lot throughout the Victorian era, so it is important to consider some of the evolvements of women’s styles through the era.

Here are some visual images showing the evolution of women’s styles through the Victorian era:


Women wore corsets under their dressses to achieve the ideal “hourglass” shape desired for a Victorian woman’s body. Dress sleeves were puffed (balloonish) and later gave way to fitted sleeves, and then eventually to bell sleeves.

During the Victorian era, “Crinolines” (stiff fabric used to create a cage-like skirt shaped structure) were worn under dresses to give them their shape in the middle 1840's. These “crinoline cages” thrived and expanded during the 1850's, 1860's, and into the 1870's, then gave way to hoop skirts, and finally to the bustle (a type of structured framework used to expand the fullness and support the drapery of the back of a woman's dress). The bustle was used until the 1890's, then became much smaller in size, going out of style altogether by the start of the twentieth century.

Dresses were made up of several layers of different shades, cloths and trimmings, and were intended to be worn with both under-dresses and over-dresses. Properly dressed ladies accessorized their attire with gloves and bonnets. Cameos were all the rage during the Victorian era and were the accessory of choice for most women.

Women’s shoes and boots were just as stiff, restrictive, and (more or less) uncomfortable as the corsets and other clothing worn by women in the Victorian era. Shoes were not meant to be seen, but were intended to be hidden under the dress. Shoes and boots were both worn as short and tight as possible. This was not just the fashion of the time, but it also was representative of the social standard. The idea was to discourage physical activity, including excessive walking. Throughout the Victorian era, a woman of a certain class was not meant to be active. She was to stay home, mostly sit, do quiet activities, and behave herself.

There were three styles of footwear for women in the Victorian era:

Boots: Boots were made of heard leather and were worn only when going out in the daytime. They were plain and laced up either on the side or the front.

Clogs: Clogs were wooden and were popular for dancing in the north of England.

Dress slippers: Dress slippers were made of silk, satin, or kid. They had a curving low heel and were elegant items that matched a woman's dress, even though they were not meant to be seen. The wealthier a woman was, the more elaborate her shoes were. Dress slippers were embellished at the top with lace and embroidering. Bows, tassels, feathers and beads were all seen on dress slippers.

Victorian Era Men’s Attire

Clothing was a lot more comfortable for men during the Victorian era than it was for women, but had the same ultimate goal of trying to make one look elegant and distinguished. The styles of shirts, jackets, and hats changed throughout the Victorian era, but the style of trousers basically remained the same. For men, stove-pipe pants were the fashion at the beginning of the century. Their ties, (cravats), and the various ways they could be tied changed throughout the Victorian era.

It was considered very impolite in the Victorian era for a gentleman to appear in his shirt sleeves before any woman other than his wife, so men almost always wore an informal "sack coat" during the day. A sack coat was a loose-fitting, single-breasted garment that was appropriate for both traveling or for business. It had a small collar, short lapels, a fastened top button close to the neck, moderately rounded hems, flap or welt pockets on the hips, a welt pocket on the chest and a slightly baggy appearance.

Throughout the Victorian era, men's formal attire consisted of a top hat, dapper cutaway coat or frockcoat, waistcoat, cravat (tie) and trousers.

Victorian men’s shoes typically consisted of boots or spats (a type of shoe accessory covering the instep and ankle) made from leather. Spats were designed to "dress up" boots to make them look like dress shoes. Some spats had buttons on the outside edge of the material. Some had a strap across the instep to keep them in place over the top of the shoe.

During the Victorian era, men accessorized their clothing with hats to show off individuality and class. There were many various styles of hats available. Types of hats worn included: top hats, derby hats, coachman hats, tweed caps or sporting caps, slouch hats, straw boater/skimmer, or “gambler” style hats. Top hats though, by far, showed the most class and distinguished a man as a gentleman.

In addition to hats, walking sticks also added a distinguished element to a Victorian man’s ensemble. Gloves were also a very commonly used accessory, as well as pocket watches. Monocles were also used as an accessory that gave off an air of elegance.
 

Victorian Era Children’s Attire

Children dressed in smaller versions of adult clothing for the first few decades during the Victorian era. Wearing miniature versions of adult styles declined in the second half of the Victorian era, however, as there was an increasing concern against squeezing young girls into corsets during the 1860s.

Victorian era girls wore a chemise, stays, drawers, multiple petticoats, and a single boned “hoop” under their skirts. The length of the skirt changed depending on her age. A toddler’s skirt ended at the ankles, then rose up to the mid-calf around age eight. It then lowered to around the boot top at age eleven or twelve, and finally back down to ankle length at age fourteen.

Most girls’ dresses in the Victorian era are a one piece ensemble a with matching top and skirt, with a bodice that is gathered or pleated into the waistband. The skirt portion of the dress is pleated. At age fourteen, the closures on a girl’s dress change from the back to front closures. By fifteen, girls wear the same styles of clothing as adult women. During the Victorian era, girls only wear short sleeves on formal gowns.

Boys in the Victorian era wore frocks with pleated skirts, or tunics and blouses over pleated skirts, until they were three or four. Boys between the age of three and ten began wearing the knickerbocker suit during the 1860’sconsisting of full knickerbockers (closed under the knee), and a short collarless jacket fastening at the neck over a white frilled shirt with a waistcoat and jacket. By the end of the Victorian era the knickerbockers began to hang loose like trousers cut off below the knee.

Sailor suits consisting of a blouse with a square collar worn with knickerbockers and a hat with a straight, narrow brim and low flat crown trimmed with black ribbon with bow ends also became popular for boys in the middle of the Victorian era. The suit had many variations: with blouse or jacket, knickerbockers open or closed below the knee, or bell-bottomed trousers.

 

Victorian Era Flowers

During the Victorian era, the language of flowers was as important to people as being "well dressed." Flowers adorned almost everything… hair, clothing, jewelry, gowns, men’s lapels, home décor, china, and stationery.

People of the Victorian era liked to make bouquets. “Tussie-Mussies” were often very well liked gifts. They were small bouquets of flowers wrapped in a lace doily and tied with satin.

During the Victorian era different types of flowers had their own meanings. Due to the heavy sense of proper etiquette and appropriateness of the era, flowers became the means by which women and their suitors communicated with one another. The distinct scent of a particular flower or the way a group of flowers were arranged in a bouquet conveyed unique “hidden” messages.

Ideas of some flowers used during the Victorian era and their meanings:

• Apple Blossom - preference
• Azalea - temperance
• Columbine - folly
• Daisy - innocence
• Daffodil - regard
• Holly - foresight
• Iris - message
• Ivy - fidelity
• Lavender - distrust
• Lily - purity
• Marigold - sorrow
• Morning Glory - affection
• Myrtle - love and marriage
• Oak - hospitality
• Pansy - thoughtfulness
• Primrose - consistency
• Rhododendron - danger
• Rose (single) - simplicity
• Tulip - fame
• Violet - faithfulness
• Water-lily - pure of heart
• Zinnia - thoughts of absent friends


Roses (particularly pink roses of all shades) were the foremost favorite flower during the Victorian era. Roses epitomized the love and romance of the era. Light pink was the favorite color among women during the Victorian era.

Victorian Era Points of Reference

The American Civil War happened during the Victorian era, so images or movies set in the Civil war provide some wonderful visual examples of fashion from the era. The famous novel, “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott was written during this era as well, and has since been adapted into a film, a play, musical, opera, and animation.

Examples of some famous people who lived during the Victorian era that can be great points of visual reference are: Queen Victoria, Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Thomas Edison, Florence Nightingale, Louisa May Alcott, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses S. Grant.

Some movies set during the Victorian era include:

• “Gone with the Wind” (1939): DVD, Blu-Ray
• “Little Women” (1995): DVD, VHS
  
• “Moulin Rouge” (2001): DVD, Blu-Ray
  
• "The Young Victoria" (2008): DVD, Blu-Ray
  
• “North and South” (1985-86): DVD set
  
• “The Mask of Zorro” (1998): DVD, Blu-Ray
  
• “The Phantom of the Opera” (2004): DVD, Blu-Ray
  
• “Tuck Everlasting” (2002): DVD, VHS
  
• "Inteview with the Vampire" (1994): DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS
  
• “Anne of Green Gables” (1985): DVD, Trilogy box set DVD
  
• “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel” (1987): DVD, Trilogy box set DVD
  
• “Anna and the King” (1999): DVD, VHS
  
• “The Age of Innocence” (1993): DVD
  
• “Possession” (2002): DVD
  
• “Nicholas Nickleby” (2002): DVD, VHS
  
• “Miss Potter” (2006): DVD, Blu-Ray
  
• “An Ideal Husband” (1999): DVD, VHS
  
• “Cold Mountain” (2003): DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS
  

These movies can provide wonderful visuals for attire worn during the Victorian era and the Victorian era style of living.

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